1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wall construction of structure, and more specifically, to such a wall construction in the structure which is provided with an outer wall of a bricklaying construction constructed in accordance with a Distributed and Unbonded Prestress (DUP) construction method.
2. Related Art
A variety of building construction methods are known in the art, such as wooden, reinforced concrete, steel and block masonry construction methods. One type of these construction methods is known as a bricklaying method, in which a wall is constructed by bricklaying. Bricks produced by baking clay at a high temperature are highly valued due to their architectural design effects or aesthetic effects resulting from their exterior wall, stately appearances, feelings, colors and so forth. The bricks also exhibit their excellent physical performances with respect to durability, sound insulation effect, fire resistance efficiency, heat accumulation effect and so forth. Therefore, the bricks have been popularly and traditionally used worldwide and widely employed for a long time as materials for architectural wall constructions.
The present inventor has proposed Distributed and Unbonded Prestress (DUP) construction method as a dry type of bricklaying construction method. This is a bricklaying construction method in which bricks are stacked in a multi-layered condition while prestress is introduced into the bricks by tightening forces of metal bolts, and studies for practical applications thereof are still continued (Japanese patent applications Nos. 4-51893, 5-91674, 6-20659, 7-172603 and 8-43014).
In general, reduction in construction costs of a house or the like is a common matter of concern for an owner, designer or constructor. Use of imported materials produced in the other countries can be considered to be effective in reduction of the construction costs. From this standpoint, housing materials produced in conformity to standards or specifications in foreign countries are imported for domestic use. These kinds of imported materials might exhibit sufficient load-carrying capacities with respect to a vertical load such as a dead load and a live load. However, in many cases, they are not in conformity to the domestic standards with regard to earthquake-resistance and wind-resistance. Therefore, it is necessary to take countermeasures, such as reinforcement of the members, or employment of members with larger cross-sections, in a case where the imported materials are to be used.
For example, as regards a conventional house, a type of construction such as a framework construction or wood frame construction is determined, and thereafter, it is designed from a design concept in which the determined construction type of structure shares both a permanent load (a dead load, a live load) and a temporary load (a seismic load, a wind load). On the other hand, with regard to structural materials such as two-by-four wooden panels designed and manufactured in conformity to the standard of an aseismic country, these materials are often inadequate for domestic standards (especially, standards of seismic countries) with respect to their strength against the seismic load, even if they can exhibit a strength against the permanent load (dead load, live load) equivalent to that of domestic structural materials. As is often the case, the imported materials cannot be employed, merely because of their insufficient strength against the temporary horizontal load.
Also in a house with brick walls, it can be considered that inner walls are constructed with the use of building materials having a relatively low strength, such as imported materials or materials manufactured at low prices, and that the inner walls are combined with outside brick walls, whereby construction costs of a house or the like are reduced. However, in a case where a conventional brick wall is constructed using a wet type method of construction, then it is difficult to share the temporary horizontal load such as a seismic force acting on the structure, even if the wall can support the dead load. Therefore, it is necessary to support the temporary horizontal load, utilizing the inner wall. However, it is difficult to obtain sufficient strength against the temporary horizontal load such as the seismic load when utilizing the inner wall which is made of construction materials manufactured in conformity to the standards and specifications of foreign countries or materials manufactured at low prices, as set forth above. Therefore, reinforcement of the inner wall, change of design thereof, or the like, is required. As the result, the construction costs are rather increased. On the other hand, it has been found from recent researches that the brick wall made by the DUP construction method can exhibit high strength against the temporary horizontal load. However, the brick wall using the DUP construction method is constructed so as to support the permanent vertical load including the load of the roof. If the brick wall further shares the temporary horizontal load, the load to be shared by the brick wall is considerably increased. Further, if the brick wall shares both of the permanent and temporary loads, the loads to be imposed on the inner wall is significantly reduced, and this results in a surplus strength of the inner wall. This is not desired from an aspect of optimization of loading balance with respect to respective structural constituents of the structure.
Further, shortening of the construction period is a common theme with respect to all kinds of architectural structures, as well as the reduction in the costs of construction. As regards the brick wall made by the DUP construction method, it is possible to significantly reduce the term of time required for the bricklaying works, in comparison to the term required for conventional bricklaying works under the wet type construction method. However, in regard to the brick walls of a bricklaying construction, it is necessary to perform interior finish work after constructing the brick walls, and therefore, the bricklaying process and the interior finishing process constitute a critical path of the whole construction schedule. In order to further shorten the construction schedule, an approach is necessary to enable simultaneity of the bricklaying process and the interior finishing process.
The brick wall made by the dry type of construction method (the DUP construction method) also allows its construction work to be carried out in a short period of time under normal weather conditions, and merits in shortening of the construction period can be achieved. However, the bricklaying processes for outer walls are apt to be affected by weather, particularly rainfall. For instance, if bad weather conditions continue for a long period of time owing to abnormal weather, a delay of the construction schedule of the bricklaying works is apprehended, regardless of the wet type of construction method or the aforementioned dry type of construction method (the DUP construction method). Therefore, it is desirable to provide a measure in which bricklaying works are enabled under circumstances unaffected by weather condition, even when bad weathers continue.